Printers are known that perform color printing on plastic cards, such as credit cards, identification cards, and the like. In certain printers, the printing is not performed directly onto the cards, but printing is instead performed on a receptor material which is then mated with the card to permit transfer of the printed image from the receptor material onto the card. In these situations, the cards must be transported past the printing apparatus of the printer, where the cards are then mated with the receptor material downstream of the printing apparatus. Since space is critical in these printers, the mechanism for transporting the cards past the printing apparatus must be constructed so that the size of the printer can be minimized.
What is needed then is a card transport mechanism for transporting cards past a printing apparatus within a printer, with the card transport mechanism being constructed so as to minimize the size of the printer.